3:15pm | Nineteen national and international junior rowing clubs and some 1,000 athletes are set to converge upon Long Beach Saturday and Sunday, when the Long Beach Junior Crew will host its 21st annual Invitational Regatta.The two days of boat races will be held in Marine Stadium April 16 and 17 and feature the fast-paced 1400-meter “sprint” races throughout the day each day, said said Joanne Irish, whose 11th-grade daughter, Zoe, is preparing to compete this weekend.
This year’s regatta will be the largest invitational LBJC has ever hosted, with teams expected from all over California, Arizona, Utah and Colorado as well as from as far away as Miami and Mexico, Irish said. LBJC will attempt to defend the two high-point trophies it earned at last year’s regatta.
LBJC will be attempting this weekend to capitalize on its recent performance at the 38th annual San Diego Crew Classic Regatta on Mission Bay, which was held April 2 and 3. At that international regatta, which featured 90 races over two days, LBJC’s varsity women’s lightweight eight-person boat captured the Cox Communications Referee Cup Trophy (See photo, courtesy of Joanne Irish, below). Additionally, LBJC coaches Nick D’Antoni, Peter Graves, Tom Graves and Nick Trojan won the Men’s Open 8+ Trophy.
In fact, the San Diego Crew Classic was the first time all of LBJC’s varsity and junior varsity boats qualified to compete in the finals.
LBJC boasts 125 local members, Irish said, and the student athletes receive physical education credit to put toward their graduation requirements from Long Beach Unified School District.
Irish’s daughter is a junior at Polytechnic High School and rows on LBJC’s women’s varsity team. She said that not only is Zoe prepping for the races, but the Irish family is busily preparing to host visiting rowers in its home, as well.
“Though this is our fourth year with the club, it’s the first time it’s housed visiting teams,” Irish said, “LBJC committed to house some 50 junior rowers from three teams from Miami; Stockton, Calif.; and Baja California, Mexico.”
Irish said that about 10 families, including hers, stepped up and offered to house the visiting rowers.
“We don’t have a huge home, so three junior rowers will get to choose from either our ‘guest room'” consisting of a fold-out couch in the computer and television room ” or the couch in the living room. Perhaps not the most luxurious of accommodations, but that said, I’ve chaperoned my share of away races, and junior rowers are used to doubling up, as well as to bunking on couches.”
The Irish family lives just five minutes from the stadium, however, and Irish pointed out that “when you have to meet up with your team at 6 .a.m, that counts for a lot.”
LBJC’s 21st annual Invitational Regatta is free and open to the public. The races are scheduled to start on Saturday at 8 a.m., with the event set to culminate on Sunday at 5 p.m. Marine Stadium is located at 5225 E. Paoli Way.
“This weekend’s race is a great way for local families to get outside and watch the exciting sport of rowing close up,” Irish said.
During the invitational, LBJC will host its annual barbeque fundraiser on Saturday. The dinner is being catered by Naples Rib Co. and will be served on the beach side of the stadium. Tickets can be purchased for $20 by visiting LongBeachJuniorCrew.org/invitational.php.
In addition to the barbecue fundraiser, Irish said the team will be selling the last of its opportunity drawing tickets for a chance to win a brand new Toyota Scion xB. Tickets are $40 for one or $100 for three, and a maximum of 2,000 tickets will be sold. The drawing is scheduled for 6 p.m. Saturday, and the winner need not be present at the time of the drawing.
LBJC will head to Sacramento in May for the USRowing Southwest Junior Regional Championships.
“If we do well,” Irish said, “some of our youth will vie for national victory at the [2011 USRowing Youth National] Championships in Tennessee this June.”
Editor’s note: This story previously stated incorrectly that the LBJC currently has 25 local members.